Improvement in watch-safes



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo OHAS. U. DEVEREUX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH-SAFES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,863, dated September 1:2, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. U. DEVEREUX, of No. 1S() Ninth avenue, in the city, county, and State 0f New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Watch and Purse Safes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a safe made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line z of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line .r of Fig. l. Fig. et is a like view, showing the safety-chamber opened to admit a watch or purse. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a safe made according to a Inoditication of my invention. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line g/ ot' Fig. 5.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is to protect watches,A purses, and other articles of value from being stolen from ones person by pickpockets or thieves.

It consists in constructing a safe which ts within and is sewed or riveted fast to thepocket of a garment, and which is made in two parts, which become separated in order t0 receive the watch or other article to be placed in it for safe keeping.

A designates a light metal plate, whose edges are pierced to enable one to fasten it by sewing to the front of the inside of the pocket.

B is a circular chamber with a close back, but an open front. Its open front is placed next to the plate A, to which it is connected by a hinge, E, on its lower side. It is further connected to the said plate by an elastic band, D, or by a spring of any other kind, which, in this example, is secured by both its ends in opposite sides of the chamber B, and passes thence in front of the plate A through slots cut for it therein.

The band D may be simply secured to the plate on each side of the chamber B without passing'through it.

O is a finger-piece, which projects upward from the chamber B to enable the wearer to separate it from the plate when a watch is to be inserted or withdrawn.

When a watch or purse or other valuable article has been placed within the safe its ring will project above the chamber through the opening I. A pull upon the chain will not be able to with draw it from its receptacle, because thc band or spring D causes the chamber B to hug the plate A, and the top ot' the watch, in whatever direction the pull is made, will always bear at right angles against the upper side ot the chamber. y

When the wearer wishes to remove the watch he applies a linger to the finger-piece O and presses the chamber away from the plate, when the watch can be easily withdrawn.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modifica^ tion ofthe same principle of construction. In this illustration the plate A has a back plate, A', connected to it by bending up a larger' plate or by a hinge,ii` desired. The back plate is connected to the front one by an elastic band or spring, D, and it has a circular opening, G, cut in it, which should be large enough to allow the i'ace of a watch to project through it. It may be a little less in diameter than the watch to be used with it, so as to prevent it from passing behind the plate on the inner 'face ot' plateA; and opposite this opening is fixed a spring, H, whose ofice is to crowd and hold the watch or other article up to and partly within the opening G, so that the upper side of the watch or other article will come beneath the upper edge, l, of said opening.

The upper part ot' plate A may be swaged outward between the dotted lines 22, so as to receive within it the ring of a watch or other article placed in the safe.

4When the plate Al is closed, a watch placed in the safe cannot be pulled out, because its upper edge comes up against the upper edge, l, ot' the said plate. When the wearer desires to withdraw the watch he pushes the plate A' back from the plate A, and thereby makes a clear passage for it.

The plates A A', as well as the chamber or box B, may be made of any suitable kind of metal, or of hard rubber or gutta-percha, or of any other material which has the desired strength.

The device can be applied to the pockets of any garment, and to bags, reticules, and bas lrets. It can also be made of any suitable shape to receive Whatever article is to be secured by it.

Instead of the plate A. a wire may be used which shall fit over the upper edge ofthe Watch or other article, presenting itself in the position of the upper edge, 1, of the said plate. Moreover, the Whole apparatus may be made of wire or of Wire-gauze,whiel1 will combine lightness with security.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 

